In The Gutter
by blackravens4
Summary: AU. Ichigo Kurosaki sees a small, white-haired boy being beaten up. He saves the boy and brings him to his clinic. There, Isshin Kurosaki tells Ichigo that the boy suffered severe injuries and may not make it. Who is the boy? And why is Ichigo so protective of him? IchigoxToshiro
1. First Glance

_**Heyya all! I'm back with a new story!**_

**_Full Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki is walking around Karakura Town. He winds up at the park where he sees a few silhouettes. Upon closer inspection, he sees many masculine men in a circle and a figure on the ground. He rescues the boy on the ground. Who is this strange kid? And why is Ichigo so protective of him? AU IchigoxToshiro_ **

Chapter 1: First Glance

_~Ichigo's POV~_

"I'm home!" I say as I walk through the door. My dad tries to kick me, but I sidestep and he goes flying through the door. "Dad, I'm not in the mood. Spirits were harassing me all day. Not only that, a bunch of cats kept following me. It was hard to do my shopping. That reminds me: Yuzu! Here's the ingredients for dinner tonight!"

"Thank you, Ichi-nii!" Yuzu comes flying towards me with a frying pan. She rams into me for a hug and keeps the frying pan away from me. She then takes the groceries and leaves me puzzled.

"She was very lonely today, Oni-chan. I had soccer practice today and dad had to leave for a meeting." Karin chimes, walking through the door with her soccer ball in its net slung across her back.

"Hey Karin. How was-"

"Ooowaaaah!" Isshin screams as he punches me in the gut. He also grabs my hair and throws me into the other room.

"What the hell, dad?!"

"You let-" Isshin couldn't finish his sentence. My fist connected with his jaw and sent him crashing into the wall. "How could he do this to me? Masaki, our son is so mean!" Isshin hugs the portrait of my mom and cries.

"I'm out of here." I say, annoyed.

"Wait! Dinner hasn't even been started yet! I was going to make your favorite!" Yuzu cries.

"Don't worry, I won't be back too late. I'll warm it up later." I smile, and leave.

_Riiing, Riiing, Riing._

I answer my cell phone. "Hello?"

"Ichigoooo! Do you want to go to the beach tomorrow?" a voice screams.

"Sorry, Keigo. I'm busy." I hang up the phone and put it back into my pocket. I walk forward. I sit on a bench near the shopping center. A small figure is peeking around the corner. I look at him. He quickly hides in a dark alley.

"Wait!" I run after him, wondering who he is. There wasn't a chain on his chest, so he isn't a spirit. Then who is he? A homeless boy? I turn the corner and see boxes strewn around. I quietly move each box to see if the boy is in one of them. Before long, I have checked all of the boxes and there is no sign of him.

I start to turn around, when I hear a noise. I scan the area around me, and see the boy sprawled on the ground. He has spiky white hair and piercing blue-green eyes. As I near him, he cringes.

"Don't come any closer!" The voice is deep. How could a child have such a deep voice? He must be older than I originally thought.

"I won't hurt you. Who are you?" I quietly ask.

"Leave me alone!" The boy throws a box at me, and then runs away. I start to get impatient, but know it is futile to continue chasing him.

l~ ~ ~l

The door to my house swings open. I take a step inside and find that Yuzu and Karin are waiting for me. "Welcome back home, Ichi-nii!" they say in harmony. "Here's your dinner!" Yuzu hands me my plate. I eat it slowly, savoring the taste.

"Thank you Yuzu. It was delicious! I'll be going to my room now. See you two in the morning." I get up, put my plate in the dishwasher, and go to my room. My bed creaks as I lay on it. _Who was that boy? Why was he frightened of me? Is he homeless?_ Questions swirl around my head, but I have no answers for them. I change into my pajamas and dive under the covers. Again, the same questions torment me. I fall into a restless sleep; tossing and turning.

l~ ~ ~l

The sun streams through my window, waking me up. Images flash through my mind: a boy with white hair cowering in fear; the same boy on the ground, yelling at me through chattering teeth; the boy running away after throwing a box at me. _What is wrong with me? Why can't I stop thinking bout him?! _

"Ichigo! Breakfast!" Karin yells, knocking on my door.

"Be there in a minute." I put on some clothes and head downstairs. We eat breakfast in silence, and we all head off to do our own things. Karin goes to the field to play soccer with her friends, dad got a patient to tend to, Yuzu is working as the nurse and cleaning the house at the same time, and I'm going to walk around Karakura Town.

I find myself in the busy shopping center. I walk around the stores, peeking into the alleyways. I don't see the boy from before. A food vendor is up ahead, so I buy some snacks. I continue walking, and wind up at the park. There, I see a bunch of silhouettes. I get closer, careful to be silent. There is a circle of masculine men and a small figure lying on the ground. I can hear voices, but they sound muffled. Again, I creep up towards the men and hide in the bushes.

"…Never steal food from us again."

"…Consequences…"

"Little brat…"

I start to get angry and approach the men silently and in full view. One of them spots me, points at me and blurts, "Who the hell are you?"

They all start to laugh.

"Fresh meat!" one of them says.

"He better watch out!" another replies.

"This is gonna be fun!"

They break formation and walk towards me, revealing the figure on the ground. _It's that boy from yesterday!_ They form a circle around me and start cracking their knuckles and necks in order to look scary and intimidating. One of them throws a punch towards me, but I catch the fist.

"You just messed with the wrong guy." I growl. I send kicks to the face of the man in front of me, while simultaneously throwing the guy whose fist I caught. The men try to jump on me, but I sidestep them and start punching and kicking them one at a time. When I'm done, they all run away crying, "Mommy, mommy!"

I turn my attention towards the boy. He cowers away from me. "Leave… me… alone…" He says in between breaths. He tries to scoot away from me, but winces from the pain. I quickly scoop him up bridal style and run as fast as I can back home.

Did you like it? Please review! If you have any suggestions, I'll be grateful! And if you have any questions, you can either PM me or leave a review. Thank you for reading! :)


	2. Will He Make It?

**Chapter 2: Will He Make It?**

**_Heyy all! Thank you for those who reviewed! And if you guys found a review by me, it's not actually me who wrote that haha. My sister doesn't have an account, and she knows my password._**

BOOM! I kick in the door to my house. "Emergency!"

Isshin comes flying through the other room. When he sees the injured person in my arms, he immediately acts professional. He scoops up the kid and places him in the clinic. Yuzu quickly walks in, ready to help.

"What should I do?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Sit in the corner and stay out of our way!" Isshin commands.

"Sorry, Ichi-nii. But you will just get in the way. Leave it to all to dad and me. I will make sure to keep you posted on his condition." Yuzu promises.

"Right." Defeated, I go to the other room and sit on the couch.

I watch TV. Then I turn it off. After a little while longer, I stand up and lean against the wall. _What am I supposed to do? I'm restless and I want to help..._

l~ ~ ~l_  
_

After an hour of waiting, Yuzu walks into the living room. "Ichi-nii… We do not have the right equipment to fully heal him. We don't know if he will make it."

"What?!" I scream, my eyes going wide. I immediately stand up, and Yuzu jumps a little at my sudden movements.

"I'm sorry, but we are doing everything we can. We have stopped most of the bleeding, but he has sustained severe injuries. Some of his organs are bruised and one is ruptured. It will take a miracle to heal him. Dad says he is in a comatose right now. If you want to see him, you can." Yuzu walks out of the room, with me following behind. We enter the clinic. I see the boy lying on a stretcher. His shirt is off, and there are many bandages wrapped around his body. Parts of the bandage are white, while others are stained with red.

I stare at him. He looks peaceful, yet fragile. Isshin is standing against the wall, his face hidden behind shadows. I can only guess at the emotions he feels.

"Son, I'm sorry. I did everything I could. But I need to know, what happened to him?" Isshin gets up from the wall and walks past me into the den. I follow him and we sit down on the couch.

"I saw him last night. He ran away from me. Then earlier today, I was walking around, and I saw a group of men over by the park. I walked up to them and they were beating the kid up. They then attacked me, but failed, and that's when I brought him home."

"Sigh… Do you know who this boy is, Ichigo?" Isshin randomly asks me.

"No, why?" My eyes close, and I screw up my face to see if I can recollect any information on him.

"He looks familiar… I know I have definitely seen him somewhere before. But… I can't remember. Anyway, I hate being gloomy and everything, so-"

WHAM! Isshin punches me in the jaw. In return, he gets a nice kick to the gut.

"Leave me alone, Damnit!" I scream. I send another kick, but this time I aim it at his jaw. I storm off, going outside and slamming the door behind me.

_Riing. Riing. Riing._

"Hello?"

"Ichigo! Do you want to go to the movies today?" a female voice says. "I've invited Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki, Uryu, Rangiku, and Renji. I think Rangiku and Renji have asked some other friends, as well."

"Sorry Rukia. I'm going to have to pass. I found someone being beaten up in the park. Dad says he is in critical condition, so I want to stay and help in any way I can. Maybe next time, okay?" I respond.

"O-okay."

_Click._

Sigh… I feel bad for rejecting Rukia's offer. But there are more important matters at hand, like the kid.

"ICHIGO!"

"Yuzu?" I rush through the door. I see Yuzu waving at me from the clinic. I follow her. Inside, Isshin is bending over the table, and Yuzu has a bunch of metal objects in her hands. Karin is still outside playing soccer. I peer over Isshin's shoulder, trying to get a better look. There lies the boy, with his eyes open. His eyes find me, and his stare bores into my skull.

"Who are you people?"

"I am Isshin Kurosaki. This is Yuzu, my daughter, and this is Ichigo, my son. My other daughter Karin is not here right now though. What is your name?"

"Thank you, Isshin, for taking care of my wounds. I best be going though." The boy puts on a jacket to cover his torso, gets off the bed, and walks towards the door. As he brushes past me, I lightly place my hand on his shoulder.

"Stay. You need more rest." I whisper, compassion evident in my voice.

The boy looks at me, and blushes slightly. He then turns around and lays back down on the bed.

"My name is Toshiro. Toshiro Hitsugaya."

_**Yes I know. It's a short chapter. My excuse: today was the first day of school and I went home early due to a stomachache. You guys deserve a new chapter, so I wrote it for you :)**_

_**Please leave a review! Suggestions welcome!**_


	3. The Past Is Revealed

**_Heyy all! Sorry for posting late! I wanted to update yesterday, but I had NO free time! I couldn't even finish all of my homework! I'm happy I got the chapter done though. :) _**

** _P.S. I'm going to try to update every Wednesday sometime after school. My other story, Unknown Destiny, will be updated every Friday starting next week! (only 2 chapters left to go!)_**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.**_

**Chapter 3: The Past Is Revealed**

"Toshiro Hitsugaya?" my dad questions. "That name sounds familiar. How old are you anyway, and where did you come from if I may ask?"

Toshiro shrinks back a little bit at the questions and hesitates before saying, "I'm 18. As you can tell from my last name, I was born into a noble family. I did not live here before, but I recently came here after… events… happened."

Isshin looks at him, expecting more. "And?"

"Dad! Leave him alone! Let him rest for a while!" Yuzu cries. "Can't you tell that he doesn't want to talk about it?"

Isshin sighs in defeat. I quickly add, "I'm not much older than you. I'm 19 years old. Now go get rest."

He nods and closes his eyes. We all soon leave the room and do other things.

l~ ~ ~l

"Aaaah!" a shriek pierces the night. Yuzu, Karin, and Isshin went to bed and I'm the only one awake. I run to the clinic, and see Toshiro screaming, tears running down his face.

"Toshiro! Wake up! Toshiro!" I shout. Toshiro doesn't wake up. I rest his head against my chest and rub his back soothingly while whispering words of encouragement.

Eventually, he stops screaming and his tears lessen. I lay his head back down on the pillow and turn to walk away, when his arm shoots out and grabs my wrist.

"Don't go… Please…" he begs, his voice hoarse.

I carefully remove his hand from my wrist and put him against my chest again. He starts to cry again, but this time it's quiet sobs.

"It's okay. Cry as much as you want. I'm here, you are not alone." I whisper soothingly. Again, I start to rub his back. He eventually falls asleep in my arms. With utmost care, I lay him back down on his bed. I look at him and a small blush appears on my face. His face is peaceful when he sleeps. The corners of his mouth are turned upwards, as if he is smiling. I continue to gaze at him, as if I was in a trance. Subconsciously, I trace his face with my eyes until I memorize every detail about him. I then realize what I am doing and blush even deeper.

_Creak_. The door to a closet groans as I open it. I cringe, hoping I didn't wake up Toshiro. I sneak a peek at him and he still appears to be sleeping. I give out a sigh of relief and turn my attention back to the closet. I move some towels and doctor equipment until I find what I am looking for: a cot. Under it is a pillow and I find a blanket shoved into the corner. I lay the cot down on the floor and set up my bed. Within five minutes, the bed is ready, and I am asleep.

l~ ~ ~l

I open my eyes and the sounds of birds singing ring through my ears. I close them again, only to be interrupted.

"Ooof!" Isshin says. He tripped over my body and landed face-first on the ground. "Ichigo! Good morning!" he says, bouncing back up. The tile of the floor left an indentation on his face and is turning red. Nonetheless, Isshin is still smiling. I glare at him, get up, and fold the cot and blanket then put them back in the closet. Meanwhile, curious eyes follow my every move.

"'Morning, Toshiro. Are you feeling okay?" I ask, noticing that he is awake.

"It's none of your business. If I may, I will be leaving now."

"Oh no you don't. You aren't fully recovered yet, AND you are in no shape to be going anywhere on an empty stomach," Isshin points out.

_Grooooaaaan_. Toshiro's stomach growls at the mention of food.

l~ ~ ~l

"Thank you for making breakfast, Yuzu. It was delicious," I compliment.

"Your welcome, Oni-san!" Yuzu cleans up the dishes and then we all look expectantly at Toshiro.

"Toshiro… where did you come from?" Karin asks, taking the words from everyone's mouths'.

Toshiro looks sheepishly around and bows his head. "As I said yesterday, I was born into a noble family. There are 13 noble families, and I was born into the 10th family, known as the Hitsugaya's. Up until last year, we were the second wealthiest family. But then, everyone was murdered." Toshiro's eyes become clouded, as if he is in a different world.

_~Flashback~_

It was a day like every other. My parents were sitting outside under the cherry blossoms overlooking the pond. There was a crowd gathered behind them, ready to give out their 'good-mornings' and then head off to do their daily tasks.

_All was peaceful, and my parents returned all of the 'good-mornings'. They were the nicest people on the planet._

"_Mom, dad. Good morning. May I go over to the Hinamori household?"_

"_Sorry, Toshiro. We have plans today, remember?" Mom says as she shoots me an apologetic look. It is then replaced with a dazzling smile as she says, "As the heir of the Hitsugaya family, you need to attend the meeting today."_

"_I will be there." I say, hiding my excitement. I walk back to the house and ask the maids to prepare me breakfast. When I am done eating, I get changed into my best clothes, and finish preparing for the meeting. _

_By noon, I am ready for the meeting and I wait for my parents in the living room. A few minutes later they walk in and together we walk to the main room where the Elders are waiting._

l~ ~ ~l

I made it through my first meeting alive!_ I think to myself as I plop myself onto my bed, ready to sleep. _It started at Noon and ended past dark…_ I change into my pajamas and fall asleep._

"AAAAH!" _I bolt upright. _Mom?_ I jump out of my bed and run through the house to get to her bedroom. As I near her door, I see a strange silhouette. I crouch low, keeping quiet. Quickly and quietly, I peer into my parent's room. They are both in bed, but a man is standing over them. Something shiny is in his hand._ A knife!_ I carefully edge closer to the man. There is blood dripping from the knife. Frightened, my eyes make their way back to the bed. Blood is everywhere. _Who got cut?!

"_Run Toshiro! Don't look back! Run NOW!" Mom cries._

"_Mom… Dad…" I sink to my knees. The man walks closer to me, picking me up by the collar of my pajamas. The knife comes dangerously close to my neck. In a flash, my whole life plays before me like some kind of movie. Tears start to fall. _This is where it ends, I suppose._ I close my eyes in defeat, awaiting my death._

_All of a sudden, I fall to the ground with a loud THUD. My eyelids open, trying to figure out what happened. The sight before me sends chills up my back._

"_Get away Toshiro! Please!" Mom begs. Her hands clutch her stomach, and with her last breath, she says, "I love you. I'm proud… to call you… my… son…" She collapses in a heap at the man's feet._

"MOM!" I want to run to her side, to make sure this is a dream. Before I can even move an inch, the man takes a step towards me and utters, "Your turn." He takes another deliberately slow step towards me. My body locks up, my nerves on end. I can't move; I'm paralyzed with fear.

'Get away Toshiro! Please!'_ The last words my mom spoke swirl around my mind. _'I love you. I'm proud… to call you… my… son…' _Her words give me energy, and I run. I run to the front of the house. I pass countless bodies, all dead, unable to stop the murderer. I don't stop running. It could have been seconds or hours. I couldn't tell the difference anymore. All I know: My parents are dead. My family is dead._

_And I'm next._

**Was this chapter good? Did it make you cry? Please leave a review and again, sorry for the late update!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. The Park

_**Ugh super, super, SUPER late… Sorry! I had bad writer's block! :'( Anyway, things have calmed down quite a bit in school now, so I think I will finally be able to update regularly! Hooray! (P.S. I may update every other week instead… sigh…)**_

**Chapter 4: The Park  
**

Toshiro finished his story, tears silently streaming down his face. He is completely still, like a statue. His eyes are glazed over, and his head is bowed. Yuzu and Isshin are hugging each other sobbing like idiots. Karin's eyes are soft, but still retain the hardness they usually have.

I stare at Toshiro, able to understand what he is feeling. My own mom was murdered right in front of my eyes. I had jumped into the river to save a girl that I saw, but was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, my mom was lying dead on top of me. It took me years to forgive myself and to figure out that it wasn't my fault she had died.

A ghost creeps up behind Toshiro; a malicious glint in his brown eyes.

"Karin-" I begin to say.

"I've got it, Ichi-nii." Karin gets up from her chair and nonchalantly walks behind Toshiro with her chopsticks in her hand. She grabs the ghost by his ear and drags him away.

"Let go of meeeee!" he wails, trying to free himself. He is then hurled through the front door. Karin walks back, and accusing eyes are on her. She just shrugs and acts like nothing happened.

Toshiro stirs, noticing that Karin moved. He finds me staring at him and stares into my eyes, seeking desperately for warmth. I give him what he needs, and the corners of his mouth twitch upwards, thankful. He looks away again, his mouth frowning and his eyes full of pain.

"Let him stay with us okay dad?" Yuzu sobs into Isshin's chest.

"Of course Yuzu! Of course he can stay!"

Toshiro looks at the duo, his eyes distant. "I c-can take care of myself. D-don't bother yourselves t-trying to take c-care of me…" he stutters, tears now ceasing to fall.

"Nonsense! The Kurosaki's never let anyone suffer!"

l~ ~ ~l

"Toshiro, how about you take a walk with Yuzu and I to buy some groceries for tonight?" I ask, knowing the answer is going to be yes anyway.

"Do I have to?" he grumbles, standing up from his nap on the couch.

"Nope! But we would like you to come. Please!" Yuzu chimes, giving Toshiro her best puppy-dog eyes.

"Alright, fine. But I'm not carrying anything!" he exclaims.

_***Dramatic screen swirl***_

"We're home!" Yuzu shouts as she open the door. She only has a small bag in her hand, while it seems Toshiro has offered to carry everything. He wobbles into the kitchen, his arms stacked full of many different items that tower at least two feet above his head. I rub the back of my head in amusement. He wouldn't let any of us carry anything in return for treating him kindly. I almost had to threaten him to let Yuzu and I even carry one item.

Toshiro neatly stacks everything onto the table. He puts the desserts together, breakfast foods, boxes of toys, and others in neat piles. One of the items threaten to fall, but Toshiro dashes towards the object just as it starts to fall. He catches it in a dive and hastily puts it in a safer spot.

"Wow Toshiro! That was amazing!" Yuzu gasps. Her eyes have a large sparkle in them, and it seems as if the lighting has gotten brighter around her.

I sigh and start putting everything away.

"Do you need any help… Ichigo?" he asks, seeming to struggle with the question. _Is he frightened of me? If not, then what?_

"Sure. Just… uh… put these in that cabinet over there." I indicate to a small neatly stacked pile of boxes.

"Ichigo… why are you trying to help me?" he asks once everyone is out of earshot.

I pause, my hands in midair. "Why? Because… it's the right thing to do. Besides, you remind me of myself," I reply, setting down the item and tussling his hair. He swats my hand away and grumbles, making me laugh.

"When I was nine, my mother died. Before that, she was my whole world. I would do anything to protect her, and I even joined a dojo. But two days after my birthday, we were walking home from the dojo and I saw a girl. It looked as if she was about to jump in and drown. I took off and tried to save her. I was somehow knocked unconscious, and when I woke up, my mom was lying over me. Only a few seconds later did I realize she had died." I have a grim smile on my face, and my eyes start to tear a little. I reach for another item to put away, but I am unable to move. Toshiro's arms are around my waist and his head is resting in the small of my back.

We stand there like that for a few moments, until he releases his grip on me. He rubs his arm and looks sheepishly away. He starts to blush and tries to hide his face. I lay my hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Toshiro."

He nods his head in reply. "I-Ichigo… do you blame yourself for-"

"No. I learned that it wasn't my fault she had died. Apparently that girl I saw was a ghost and… it wasn't a nice one, either. I don't know how it killed my mom, but it somehow did."

"That must be rough." Toshiro says. You must really know how I feel… Although I completely blame myself for my family's death." He looks at his feet in shame.

I put my finger under his chin and force him to look up at me. I look him straight in the eye with a serious expression. "Never say it is your fault. It wasn't your fault, and it never will be. You hear?" He slightly nods and I lift my finger away. I suddenly smile and request, "Hey, you wanna go to the park?"

l~ ~ ~l

_Chirp, Chirp._ We stop in our tracks to listen to the birds sing. The melody shifts a bit from a quick tempo to a slower, calmer song. I spot a lonesome bench near us and we sit on it. A few birds circle around some trees off to the distance.

"This is peaceful," I say as I casually lean back and rest my arms on the top of the bench. Something soft hits my arm, and I look to see Toshiro slightly resting on it. I wrap my arm around his shoulders. We sit there, listening to the birds. All of a sudden a flutter of wings sounds. Two pure white doves crisscross above our heads and alight down onto opposite sides of the bench. Toshiro and I blush, knowing that doves symbolize love and peace. I start to withdraw my arm, when Toshiro clasps it with his hand.

"Stay like you are. It feels nice, for a change."

"As you wish," I say, a twinkle of humor in my eye.

The two doves are cooing softly and slowly getting closer to the other. It is a dazzling sight; watching them dancing to a beat of their own and making it seem graceful. They stop their dance as the reach each other and they put their heads under their wings and start to sleep.

Toshiro moves his head and rests it on my chest, his eyelids closed and his breathing peaceful. He looks like an angel. My angel. I softly stroke his hair, and before I know it, I drift off to sleep.

"Heh. There he is. That brat. It's time for some payback," a mysterious person murmurs to his buddies.

"We are going to get him so hard for the damage he caused us," one of the others mutters back.

They retreat into the darkness, still plotting.

_**Finally finished! It only took what? 7 or 8 weeks? Anyway, I'm not that pleased with this chapter. I decided (with help from smokepelt) to add some background information and some fluff. But since this is Bleach we are talking about, there is no such thing as a storyline only made up of fluff. Warning: next chapters contain some awesomeness! Reviews are welcome and ideas greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!  
**_


	5. The Surprise

_**Heyy all! I'm back with my next chapter! I have many ideas floating around my head and I don't know how I'm going to put them in the story! (Thanks to MoonlightGlacier for some ideas that I'm going to integrate into my story over the next few chapters! And uh… yes, most updates will take a looong time to appear... sorry!)**_

**Chapter 5: The Surprise**

"IIIIIII-CH-IIIIII-GOOOOOOOOOO! Hyah!" Isshin says at he runs at me and tries to kick me with the heel of his foot. As his foot raises, I roll over to face my window and raise my hand to catch his foot. When it makes contact, I twist it and make him fall down from the momentum of his attack.

"Dad, I'm trying to sleep. What could be so important as to wake me up?"

"It's Toshiro. He went missing."

"WHA-!" I scream as I bolt off my bed. I dash through the hall and down the stairs when I see Toshiro sitting at the table eating toast. He looks up at me with little interest as to what I am doing, then looks back down at his toast and takes a big bite. He then walks to the fridge and grabs 2 slices of watermelon, handing one of them to me.

"Wha- uh- ah… DAD!" I stutter. I clench my fists, wounding the watermelon. I take a huge bite out of it and swallow everything, including the seeds.

"Ready for an attack, Toshiro?" I ask.

"Sure."

We each take a few slices in our hands and silently creep up the stairs. When Isshin is in sight, we take huge bites out of the watermelons and…

**Fwt fwt fwt fwt fwt fwt.**

"Yeeeow!" The seeds hit their target: his huge head. He turns around with his nostrils flaring and chases after us for an hour.

l~ ~ ~l

"Ichigo… I was wondering…" Toshiro trails off as he nervously twiddles his fingers.

"What's up Toshiro?" I ask, my eyebrows lifted.

All of a sudden, Toshiro becomes serious. "Never mind. It-it was nothing." He stands up from the couch that we crashed on after the onslaught of watermelon seeds. I reach out and catch his wrist as he turns to leave.

"What did you want to say?" I ask, my voice deep and intimate.

"It's just…well…" Again, Toshiro starts to fidget. I let go of his wrist and he starts to pace in front of me.

"Ichigo… you know how-" My lips cut off Toshiro mid-sentence. He freezes up for a moment, but then relaxes into the kiss. We break apart, nearly out of breath.

"Sorry, Toshiro. It was the quickest way to make you stop talking and notice me," I say, a blush creeping its way onto my cheeks.

"Uh… mm…" he replies, unable to talk after the kiss.

"Hey, let's go to the movie theatre." I suggest.

"Alright."

We stand up from the couch and head to the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see a certain goat-faced man peeking around the corner. Stealthily, he disappears as I turn to look where he stood just a moment ago.

"We better hurry. My old man is up to no good."

"Right," Toshiro replies.

l~ ~ ~l

We talk a short walk through the park, on the opposite side where I found Toshiro. There is a small field of flowers, and we take a detour through them. I trip and fall flat on my face. Toshiro laughs, but I suddenly grab his outstretched arm and pull him down with me. Of course we had to be at a hill, so we rolled down it. By the time we managed to untangle our limbs, Toshiro was in between my legs.

"Uh… sorry," Toshiro hastily says, gets up, and turns around. He tries to hide it, but I can clearly see the blush deepening on his cheeks.

I take his hands into mine, and I stare deep into his beautiful blue irises. He leans in close, and rests his head on my chest, since he is too short to reach my neck. The wind rustles, blowing our clothes and hair. I feel my shirt stick to my skin, and I notice Toshiro crying. Tears are running down his face in a steady stream. I put my hand under his chin and make him look up. We stare deeply into each other's eyes. Slowly, he cranes his head up and I let mine lower. Just before our lips come into contact, he pulls slightly away. Toshiro then resumes to rest on my chest.

I encircle Toshiro with my arms and hold him tight, not letting him go. The clouds partially cover the sun, leaving us in the shade.

Something rustles in the bushes near us, and Toshiro almost jumps out of my arms with the cutest face I had ever seen. He faces the ground, slightly kicking up dirt. My face breaks out in a smile and, again, I hold his hand. I lead him to a big tree a little off in the distance and have us sit down. Some cherry blossoms float down. I catch a few and lightly caress his face with them. He breaks out into one of his rare smiles and snuggles into my side.

Our peace doesn't last long, for the clouds start to darken and gusts of wind blow roughly.

"We better get back home," Toshiro says. _Did Toshiro just say 'home?'_

"Yeah. Don't want to get caught in a storm. Too bad we won't get to the movies without getting soaked."

We take a few steps when the first raindrops fall. I take off the very thin coat I was wearing over my T-shirt and hold it above Toshiro's head. "I don't want you to catch a cold," I tell him. His lips turn up ever so slightly at the corners and nods.

The two of us rush back home, panting and laughing. For once, we are not greeted by Yuzu, Karin, nor my dad. I look around the house, wondering where they are.

"I'll get you a pair of dry clothes. You can change in my room. I'll knock on the door when I have your clothes." I suggest.

"Right." Toshiro walks up the stairs slowly, and I wonder if he is okay. I go get him some dry clothes, and knock on the door.

"Come in, Ichigo."

I crack the door open, and notice that he is still fully dressed. After opening the door fully, I walk into the room. "Are you alright, Toshiro?" He doesn't respond, and looks shy and uncomfortable. "Toshiro?" I repeat.

"I should leave," is all he says.

"But… Toshiro, you can't!"

"Why not? I don't belong here! This isn't my family! I don't have a family anymore, Ichigo! They were taken away from me!" he shouts. "My family was murdered! Do you really think I could just forget and move on? It's not that simple!" With each word, he takes a step towards me and I back away from him. I hit the wall, and Toshiro closes the gap. "I can't be happy. I don't deserve it! The only thing I deserve is pain, and sorrow, and loneliness, and…and…" He struggles for words. Aggravated, he starts banging on my chest, trying to let out his frustration.

Toshiro stops moving, and slumps to the ground, crying heavily. It's all I can do to stay where I am. I don't want to cause Toshiro any more pain, even though I wish I could hold him in my arms and let him know that he does deserve love, and I am willing to give it to him.

"I'm leaving. You probably won't ever see me again, Ichigo. Farewell." Toshiro takes the dry pair of clothes from my grip, heads down the stairs, and walks through the door.

"Toshiro!" I cry, and rush after him. I stop right as I reach the door. Crying, I too, fall to a heap and sob. _Maybe I should just let him go. I think I am falling in love with this boy, this poor, heartbroken boy. Maybe someday he will return, and we can finally be reunited once again. What was that old saying? Oh yeah, _"If you love somebody, let them go. If they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were." _I have faith that someday, Toshiro will return. Until then, I will wait for him._

_**Man am I mean! First I give you guys a sweet setting, then I totally annihilate the story and separate them! Muahahaha! But don't worry, a lot of stuff will happen! Please be patient, for I am a lazy person and will probably procrastinate again. Enjoy! Oh, and please review! I would love to hear your thoughts about the story and any suggestions! Thanks for reading!**_


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